Washington Title Image Large
© Pete Saloutos/Panoramic Images (Washington Title Image Large)

Only in Washington

Most plants and animals are rather wide-ranging but some have a much more limited distribution, including several that occur only in a small portion of Washington state. We've reviewed several sources of information and synthesized the following lists of vertebrate animals and vascular plants that are unique to our state. We would like to produce similar lists for non-vascular plants and invertebrate animals but, at this time, there is insufficient information to do so.

These vertebrate animals occur only in Washington

Scientific NameCommon NameGlobal RankState RankClass
Marmota olympusOlympic MarmotG3G4S2mammal
Novumbra hubbsiOlympic MudminnowG3S2S3fish
Plethodon vandykeiVan Dyke's SalamanderG3S3salamander
Rhyacotriton olympicusOlympic Torrent SalamanderG3S3salamander
Spermophilus townsendiiTownsend's Ground SquirrelG3S3mammal

These vascular plants occur only in Washington

Scientific NameCommon NameGlobal RankState RankFamily
Allium constrictumconstricted Douglas' onionG2G3S2S3Liliaceae
Allium scilloidesfragile onionG2G3SULiliaceae
Arabis furcata var. olympicaColumbia Gorge rockcressG4T2 S2Brassicaceae
Arabis microphylla var. thompsoniiThompson's rockcressG5T1QSNRBrassicaceae
Astragalus australis var. olympicusCotton's milk-vetchG5T2S2Fabaceae
Astragalus columbianusColumbia milk-vetchG3S3Fabaceae
Astragalus leibergiiLeiberg's milkvetchG3SNRFabaceae
Astragalus lyalliiLyall's milkvetchG3?SNRFabaceae
Astragalus misellus var. pauperpauper milkvetchG4T3S3Fabaceae
Astragalus sinuatusWhited's milk-vetchG1S1Fabaceae
Balsamorhiza hookeri var. hookeriHooker's balsamrootG5TNRSNRAsteraceae
Campanula piperiOlympic bellflowerG3S3Campanulaceae
Castilleja cryptanthaobscure Indian-paintbrushG2G3S2S3Scrophulariaceae
Castilleja parviflora var. olympicaOlympic Indian paintbrushG5?T2T3SNRScrophulariaceae
Chaenactis thompsoniiThompson's chaenactisG2G3S2S3Asteraceae
Claytonia lanceolata var. chrysanthalanceleaf springbeautyG5TNRQSNRPortulacaceae
Claytonia megarhiza var. nivalisalpine springbeautyG4G5T3S3Portulacaceae
Clematis occidentalis var. dissectaColumbia clematisG5T4?SNRRanunculaceae
Corispermum pallidumpale bugseedGHSHChenopodiaceae
Crepis modocensis ssp. glareosaModoc hawksbeardG4G5T1?QSNRAsteraceae
Delphinium multiplexKittitas larkspurG3QSNRRanunculaceae
Delphinium viridescensWenatchee larkspurG2S2Ranunculaceae
Delphinium xantholeucumNorthwestern LarkspurG3S3Ranunculaceae
Douglasia nivalissnow dwarf-primroseG3S3Primulaceae
Douglasia nivalis var. dentatasnow dwarf-primroseG3T2?SNRPrimulaceae
Douglasia nivalis var. nivalissnow dwarf-primroseG3T2T3SNRPrimulaceae
Erigeron basalticusbasalt daisyG2S2Asteraceae
Erigeron flettiiFlett's fleabaneG3SNRAsteraceae
Erigeron peregrinus var. thompsoniiThompson's wandering daisyG5T2S2Asteraceae
Erigeron piperianusPiper's daisyG3S3Asteraceae
Erigeron poliospermus var. cereusKittitas fleabaneG4T3?SNRAsteraceae
Eriogonum codiumUmtanum desert buckwheatG1S1Polygonaceae
Eriogonum compositum var. lancifoliumarrowleaf buckwheatG5TNRSNRPolygonaceae
Eriogonum strictum var. glabrumBlue Mountain buckwheatG5TNRSNRPolygonaceae
Eriogonum umbellatum var. hypoleiumsulphur-flower buckwheatG5T2T4SNRPolygonaceae
Erythronium quinaultenseQuinault fawnlillyG2S1S2Liliaceae
Eucephalus glaucescensKlickitat asterG2G3SNRAsteraceae
Galium serpenticum ssp. okanoganenseOkanoga bedstrawG4G5TNRSNRRubiaceae
Galium serpenticum ssp. puberulumIntermountain bedstrawG4G5TNRSNRRubiaceae
Galium serpenticum ssp. wenatchicumIntermountain bedstrawG4G5TNRSNRRubiaceae
Geum rossii var. depressumRoss' avensG5T1S1Rosaceae
Hackelia diffusa var. aridasagebrush stickseedG4TNRSNRBoraginaceae
Hackelia hispida var. disjunctasagebrush stickseedG4T2T3S2S3Boraginaceae
Hackelia venustashowy stickseedG1S1Boraginaceae
Iliamna longisepalalongsepal globemallowG3S3Malvaceae
Lathyrus nevadensis var. puniceusSierra peavineG5T3?SNRFabaceae
Lomatium cuspidatumWenatchee desertparsleyG2G3SNRApiaceae
Lomatium quintuplexUmtanum desert-parsleyG2S3Apiaceae
Lomatium thompsoniiThompson's desertparsleyG3S3Apiaceae
Lomatium tuberosumHoover's desert-parsleyG2G3S2S3Apiaceae
Lupinus amphibiusamphibious lupineG1G3QSNRFabaceae
Lupinus arbustus var. arbustuslongspur lupineG5T1T3QSNRFabaceae
Lupinus garfieldensisGarfield lupineG3QS3Fabaceae
Lupinus lutescenslight yellow lupineG1G2QSNRFabaceae
Mertensia platyphylla var. platyphyllabroadleaf bluebellsG3?TNRSNRBoraginaceae
Navarretia leucocephala ssp. diffusadiffuse navarretiaG4TNRSNRPolemoniaceae
Oxytropis campestris var. wanapumfield locoweedG5T1S1Fabaceae
Pedicularis bracteosa var. atrosanguineabracted lousewortG5TNRSNRScrophulariaceae
Pedicularis rainierensisMt. Rainier lousewortG2G3S2S3Scrophulariaceae
Penstemon eriantherus var. whitediifuzzytongue penstemonG4T2S2Scrophulariaceae
Penstemon glandulosus var. chelanensisstickystem penstemonG4T1T3SNRScrophulariaceae
Penstemon washingtonensisWashington beardtongueG3SNRScrophulariaceae
Petrophyton cinerascensChelan rockmatG1S1Rosaceae
Petrophytum hendersoniiOlympic Mountain rockmatG3SNRRosaceae
Phacelia lentasticky phaceliaG2S2Hydrophyllaceae
Philadelphus zelleriZeller's mock orangeG1G3SNRHydrangeaceae
Physaria alpestrisWashington twinpodG3?SNRBrassicaceae
Physaria douglasii ssp. tuplashensisWhite Bluffs bladderpodG4?T2S2Brassicaceae
Poa curtifolialittle mountain bluegrassG3SNRPoaceae
Polemonium pectinatumWashington polemoniumG2S2Polemoniaceae
Rudbeckia alpicolashowy coneflowerG5T3T4SNRAsteraceae
Rumex salicifolius var. angustivalviswillow dockG5TNRSNRPolygonaceae
Senecio neowebsteriOlympic Mountain ragwortG2G3SUAsteraceae
Sidalcea oregana var. calvaWenatchee Mountain checker-mallowG5T1S1Malvaceae
Silene seelyiSeely's sileneG2G3S2S3Caryophyllaceae
Synthyris pinnatifida var. lanuginosacut-leaf synthyrisG4T2S2Scrophulariaceae
Tauschia hooveriHoover's tauschiaG2S2Apiaceae
Thermopsis montana var. hitchcockiimountain goldenbannerG4G5T2T4SNRFabaceae
Trifolium longipes ssp. longipeslongstalk cloverG5T3T4SNRFabaceae
Trifolium thompsoniiThompson's cloverG2S2Fabaceae
Valeriana columbianaWenatchee valerianG2G3SNRValerianaceae
Viola flettiiOlympic violetG3S3Violaceae


Sources of data:

  • Washington Natural Heritage Program. 2009. Biotics 4 database. Olympia, WA. (Accessed: March 18, 2009).
  • USDA, NRCS. 2009. The PLANTS Database (http://plants.usda.gov/, 18 March 2009). National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA.
  • NatureServe. 2009. NatureServe Explorer: An online encyclopedia of life [web application]. Version 7.1. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. Available http://www.natureserve.org/explorer. (Accessed:  March 19, 2009 ).
  • Weinmann, F., P.F. Zika, B. Legler, D.E. Giblin. 2002+. Checklist of the Vascular Plants of Washington State. University of Washington Herbarium, Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture. ( http://biology.burke.washington.edu/herbarium/waflora/checklist.php , 18 March 2009)

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